Tyler the Creator, frontman of L.A. hip-hop convoy OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All), won’t admit to it but I’m sure he understands his audience to be predominantly white, suburban, indie-teens-in-training. Let’s try to keep that in mind here, now that there seems to be a somewhat recognizable consensus on Tyler the Creator’s second full-length album and first major label release, Goblin on XL Records. From where I’m standing it seems like folks are a bit dissatisfied. Granted there hasn’t been too many local hip-hop acts with this kind of trajectory since the astronomical rise of Lupe Fiasco, the quizzical introduction of Wiz Khalifa and others, this record leaves a lot to be desired. The album is choppy, draining, and quite lengthy. Some of the standout tracks (“Yonkers” and “Sandwitches”) on the record feel somewhat superfluous since they’ve …
| Mar | 19 |
SWEETGREEN (www.sweetgreen.com), known for its network of sustainable eateries throughout the northeast, has announced the lineup for its annual Sweetlife Festival, featuring The Strokes as headliner, plus Girl Talk, Lupe Fiasco, Crystal Castles, Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot, Theophilus London,Walk the Moon, US Royalty and Modern Man. The festival is scheduled for Sunday, May 1st at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD from 1pm to 11pm. Visit www.Sweetlifefestival.com now for tickets!
SWEETLIFE FESTIVAL is an annual celebration of music, wholesome food, and thoughtful living, hosted by sweetgreen and located directly between Washington DC and Baltimore where fans of music and sustainability can experience the forefront of both cultural movements in one interactive environment. As an extension of the brand’s commitment to sourcing seasonal, local …
This past year has proven to be a healthy one for hip-hop. Whether it was Kanye’s creative opus “Runaway,” Nicki Minaj’s legion of colorful wig-wearing barbies, Wayne’s constant cash flow (despite his temporary incarceration), or anything Waka Flocka did, 2010 has put rap music in relatively good shape. But regardless of all the innovative art and hilarity involved in the sporadic and unapologetic genre that is “rap music,” one can’t help but be a little bored. A true hip-hop fan knows that controversial antics are just as important as quality content—this is what separates hip-hop from every other style of music: it’s not just a sound, but a lifestyle. And in a time where many have seem to forgotten their artistic duty to both entertain and create, one man has risen above the rest in an effort to make hip-hop the polarizing pot of fascination that it once aimed to be. That man is none other than Lil’ B.
| Nov | 01 |
The digital quill is in need of a refill (and a bottle of Nyquil after a mind-bending Devil’s Night/All Hallow’s Eve) so here’s a few burnt offerings at the Tabernacle of Fractured Journalism better known as the blogosphere.
The first official single from Lupe Fiasco’s hoped-for swan song, Lasers (although Atlantic has other ideas for the talented MC who still can’t live down botching “Electric Relaxation” at VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors 2007). Riffing on Modest Mouse is a move that could backfire for some of the Chicagowin’s more left-of-center devotees but the song is by no means a misstep. Let your own cochlear nerves be the judge:
| Aug | 23 |



























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